On the evening of January 31, 2020 two individuals were turned away by RCMP for attempting to cross the access control checkpoint along the Morice West Forest Service Road in Houston, BC.
A driver and two passengers drove to the RCMP checkpoint at the 27 kilometre mark, stating they were attending the Gidumt’en camp to drop off supplies. The driver provided officers her identification, however the female and male passengers refused to do so.
Both passengers in the vehicle were refused entry and remained on the roadway while access was granted to the driver to drop off supplies.
As the driver went through the checkpoint, she stopped on the other side. Both the male and female passengers attempted to cross through the checkpoint on foot. They were warned that they would be arrested for obstruction if they attempted to cross.
The male immediately stopped however the female passenger proceeded and a police officer advised her that she was being detained. At this point she did not continue to push her way through and turned to walk the other way. The detention immediately ended at that point and the driver returned to take both passengers to the sheltered area at the 27 kilometre mark.
There will be no further action taken by police in this matter.
The access control checkpoint remains in place as a measured response to managing access as dialogue continues toward resolving the current breach of the BC Supreme Court Injunction.
